Crispy & Soft Banh Mi Baguette (Vietnamese Baguette)

Make the dough

Add 248 ml of water to a liquid measuring cup. Microwave for 35-40 seconds until the water is 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F.

Add 8 g of granulated sugar and 7 g of active dry yeast to the measuring cup. Mix and set aside for 5 minutes.

While the yeast is dissolving, add 495 g of bread flour, 5 g of dough improver, 8 g of salt, 1 egg, and 30 grams of melted unsalted butter into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook.

Pour the yeast into the stand mixer bowl. The yeast will look bubbly at this point.

Turn the stand mixer on low to mix the ingredients together. Once mixed together, increase the speed to 4 and let the dough knead for 7-10 minutes. If you don't have a stand mixer, mix all the ingredients together until it forms a shaggy ball. Empty the dough onto a flour-dusted surface and knead with your hands for 10 minutes.

After 7 minutes, test the dough to make sure it has been kneaded enough (windowpane test). Pinch off some of your dough. Flatten it out into a thin rectangle shape and hold it up to the light. If you stretch the dough so it’s thin enough for light to pass through and it doesn’t break, your dough has been kneaded enough. If it does not pass the windowpane test, continue to knead until it does.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (~1 hour).

Shape the dough

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. I like to weigh the dough and then divide that by 6 to get the exact weight of each dough piece. I then measure out each piece of dough.

Flatten each piece until it is very thin oval (approximately 5 x 10 inches) and then roll tightly into a long oval, pinching the sides in the process. Make sure to punch out as much air as possible. See this video for the perfect demonstration.

Place the dough onto the baguette pan.

Move the oven racks so one is at the bottom of the oven and another one is right above it.

Cover and let them rise until they are at least double in size (1-2 hours). The dough needs a humid place to rise. I would recommend placing a pan on the bottom rack of the oven with 2-3 cups of hot water and then placing the dough onto the oven rack above the rack with hot water (steam bath). The oven should be closed, but it should not be on.

Once done proofing, take the dough out and empty the water from the pan on the bottom rack. Put the pan back in the oven on the bottom rack.

Bake the baguettes

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (246 degrees C).

Boil 1/2 cup of water.

Using a sharp knife or a bread lame, make a slash along the length of the dough. Alternatively, you can make 45 degree slashes down the baguette. Using a clean spray bottle, spray the tops of the baguettes with water.

Pour the boiling water into the pan at the bottom of the oven. Place the baguettes onto the rack above it and bake for 17-20 minutes until the baguettes are golden brown.

Cool the baguettes completely on a cooling rack before slicing.